In moving video, 11-year-old whose mother was deported tells Trump he 'tore our world apart'
Estela Juarez, 11, wrote a letter to President Trump about the pain her family has experienced since her mother was deported to Mexico two years ago, a message she shared during the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday night.
Her mother, Alejandra, came to the United States from Mexico when she was a teenager "in search of a better life," Estela said. She married Estela's father, a Marine veteran who served in Iraq, and "worked hard and paid taxes" and was told by the Obama administration that she could stay in the country.
"My dad thought you would protect military families, so he voted for you in 2016, Mr. President," Estela said. "He says he won't vote for you again after what you did to our family." Her mother was deported two years ago, and "instead of protecting us, you tore our world apart," Estela said. Her video included clips of Trump railing against immigrants, calling them "animals" during one rally, as well as of children in migrant facilities crying for their parents.
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Estela ended her letter by calling her mother the "wife of a proud American Marine and a mother of two American children. We are American families. We need a president who will bring people together, not tear them apart." Catherine Garcia
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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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